Sup cu/ck/s. I've been tasked with making a side dish for Christmas dinner...

Sup cu/ck/s. I've been tasked with making a side dish for Christmas dinner, and I think I'd like to try my hand at baked mac and cheese.

This is the recipe I'm thinking.

seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/11/classic-bechamel-baked-mac-cheese-recipe.html

Do y'all have any tips for a first-timer on how not to fuck it up? I'm familiar with making a roux, but I've never gone all the way with turning it into a cheese sauce.

Other urls found in this thread:

amazon.com/Hexametaphosphate-Molecular-Gastronomy-Non-GMO-Certified/dp/B00PJOM6OA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1513971271&sr=8-1&keywords=sodium hexametaphosphate
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

Catalog thumbnail makes it look like there's in American flag sticking out of that.

- cook medium shells a little before al dente
- make a roux
- add cream and cheeses to the roux
- heat till homogeneous and starting to thicken
- mix in shells
- put in an oven casserole tray and top with seasoned bread crumbs mixed with butter
- bake at 400f till breadcrumbs are as browned as you like them
- let cool then eat

I suggest gruyere and cheddar

>this obsessed

>cook medium shells
nigga no

you do not know what is what

no boil mac is best mac

Buy sodium citrate and/or sodium hexametaphosphate.

amazon.com/Hexametaphosphate-Molecular-Gastronomy-Non-GMO-Certified/dp/B00PJOM6OA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1513971271&sr=8-1&keywords=sodium hexametaphosphate

I thought that too.
The recipe I linked has a section on that too. I don't think I have time for that at this point.

It will still be good without it.
>cream
I thought you're supposed to use milk.

I am going to be using cheddar and gruyere.

>I'm familiar with making a roux, but I've never gone all the way with turning it into a cheese sauce

you mean... by adding some cheese to it

it's not rocket surgery

Well, I've read stories here of people fucking it up and the sauce coming out grainy. I don't want that. I have a bit of a reputation as the "food guy" in my family and it will be really embarrassing if I fuck this up.

sodium citrate

>Christmas
>Mac n cheezus
Enjoy your feats

Fuuuck, I don't have time to get it in time for Christmas. I should have planned this earlier.

just use velveeta and butter and bacon and bacon grease

any other tips to help with this that don't involve that sodium citrate stuff?

>I thought you're supposed to use milk.

More fat more flavor - is the general rule, but if you have milk and don't feel like buying cream then you can definitely use it.

...

I am not going to use fucking Velveeta, REEEEEEE

>doesn't know how to make mac'n cheese
>known as the food guy

Is your family dead or retarded

I've made a similar recipe before, it's pretty easy. The one tip I have is don't overfill the baking pan or let any macaroni stick out of the cheese sauce as that macaroni will get dried out and gross.

>grainy sauce
dunno, never happened to me. Make sure all the cheese melts, I guess?

I'll be honest. They've just seen me browsing this board so they think I'm some food expert when really I mostly just fucks with fast food and other garbage threads.

>The one tip I have is don't overfill the baking pan or let any macaroni stick out of the cheese sauce as that macaroni will get dried out and gross.
Good tip, thanks.

I'll help you out opie; the sauce will usually only turn out grainy if you
-mess up the proportions of roux vs cream
-over or undercook the roux
-too quickly or too slowly add/mix the cream
Research heavily how to correctly cook a roux, ensure your temp control is good, add the cream slowly. Watch videos on Bechamel sauce (this is the roux and cream, when you add cheese, it is Mornay sauce). Consider making a few trial runs at the bechamel sauce to ensure you can correctly cook it., since its just roux and cream it isnt too expensive to trial and error a few times.

Adding the cheese is pretty simple as it's just slowly adding and mixing it in so don't worry about that part too much.

MSG is good for adding flavor if you don't overuse it.
Also, consider what spices you want to add in the final phase with the cheese. I usually just use salt, pepper, and ground mustard, but consider your family's tastes.

Awesome, thanks a lot man.

>I usually just use salt, pepper, and ground mustard, but consider your family's tastes.
Pretty much what this recipe calls for. And a splash of Frank's red hot.

Once you can make a mornay sauce, then you can make a Kentucky hot brown too.

A good tip depending on the flavor profile you want, you can cook some chopped up bacon to render the fat, reserve the bacon, and use the bacon day to start your roux, adding butter if you need more fat. Then you can add the bacon back in once you've finished the sauce. Shallots and/or mushrooms also make a great addition to mac and cheese.